San Jose State vies for first win of series

November 1, 2007

Boise, ID (CSTV U-WIRE) -- Simply by looking at the numbers, San Jose State (3-5, 2-2) and Boise State (7-1, 4-0) don't stack up to be the most intriguing match up this season. Saturday's game will be the eighth meeting between the two programs. BSU leads the series 7-0. The Broncos are still undefeated against Western Athletic Conference opponents in Bronco Stadium (26-0) and two of SJSU's wins come against the bottom two teams in the WAC.

With all of that in mind, Bronco fans should expect the unexpected when the Spartans arrive in Boise because this series has provided as much uncertainty as any in recent years. While the Broncos have posted three wins over SJSU by more than 37 points since 2001, two of the last three games have been packed with high drama.

"We go to Boise very mindful that nobody has won there in six years," SJSU Head Coach Dick Tomey said in a press conference this week. "We understand that Boise State is playing their best football of the season right now. So, we need to go there with the attitude that we can win and that we have to play our best game to do that."

In 2004-05 the Broncos traveled to San Jose, Calif. for an uncharacteristic Saturday morning game. It took two overtime sessions to finally put away the Spartans, 56-49. Fast-forward two seasons and the Broncos found themselves in another pressure cooker at SJSU. BSU needed Anthony Montgomery to come through with a clutch last second field goal to squeak out a 23-20 win. That game proved to be the last scare before the Broncos Fiesta Bowl meeting with Oklahoma.

So with the Spartans traveling to Boise this Saturday its safe to say Bronco fans aren't marking this game in the win column just yet.

"It's gonna be tough, no question," BSU Head Coach Chris Petersen said Monday. "We will not take them lightly. They remember how we snuck out of their place last year and they'll come ready to play."

"We have to prepare ourselves to play some tough, physical football," Petersen said. "They can hurt you in a lot of ways and we need to be ready to counter that."

SJSU has yet to win on the road this season, but has played a pretty stout away schedule in the Spartans defense. SJSU opened the season at Arizona State, Kansas State and then Stanford. The Spartans lost all three match-ups 45-3, 34-14 and 37-0, respectively. SJSU found its first win of the season at Utah State in week-four with a 23-20 defeat of the Aggies.

"They've had kind of an up and down year and I'm sure things haven't gone as well as they would have hoped, but they're still in this thing," Petersen said. "I'm sure [they]will play like it on Saturday."

SJSU finally returned home for its first three home games of the season with University of California-Davis, Idaho and Hawaii all visiting San Jose, Calif. The Spartans handed UC-Davis a 34-14 loss and managed to hold off a late rally by the Vandals, 28-20, to garner their third consecutive win of the season.

On Oct. 12 the Hawaii Warriors traveled to SJSU in a game that really showed how far the Spartans had come in the last few weeks. The Spartans battled Hawaii into overtime before falling, 42-35, on an Adam Tafralis (6-2, 219) interception in the end zone to end the game.

SJSU tried to rebound with a trip to Fresno State a week later but was unable to find any offensive firepower in a 30-0 loss to the Bulldogs. The Spartans practiced through a bye-week over the weekend of Oct. 27, which gives it two weeks to prepare for the Broncos.

Offense

The numbers are staggering when comparing the offensive success of SJSU in its three victories, compared to its five losses this season.

The Spartans have been shutout twice this season and are averaging just 10.4 points per game in games that it has lost, which includes its 35 points against Hawaii. In three victories the Spartans averaged 28.33 ppg.

On the season SJSU is averaging 17.1 ppg and has been outscored, on average, by 13.1 ppg. One of the biggest offensive gaps thus far has been in the Spartan rushing attack. SJSU is only averaging 71.8 rushing yards per game and has scored just three rushing touchdowns. Senior quarterback Adam Tafralis is the team's current leading rusher with 19.4 yards per game.

Tafralis has also averaged 239.6 passing yards per game with a 63.8 completion percentage. He has thrown 12 touchdown passes with 10 interceptions on the season. His favorite target so far this season has been Kevin Jurovich (6-0, 183). Jurovich leads the Spartans with 52 receptions and five touchdowns. He is averaging 87 receiving yards

per game.

Defense

The Spartan defense is anchored by WAC preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight Lowery (6-1, 185). He tied for the most interceptions in the country last season with nine and has picked opposing quarterbacks off four times already this season. Lowry has also been the main punt returner for the Spartans this season.

As a defensive unit SJSU has recorded 15 interceptions this season with seven different players grabbing at least one pick this season. Junior corner back Chris Owens (5-10, 228) leads the team with four interceptions and has recorded 56 tackles, which is currently third highest on the team.

The Spartan defense has been beat up on the ground, allowing 179.4 rushing yards per game this season and 15 rushing touchdowns. SJSU is also allowing 403.1 yards of total offense per game. Opposing offenses have scored touchdowns on 67 percent of their red zone opportunities and have come away with red zone points 91 percent of the time.

Players to watch

Kevin Jurovich Junior Wide Receiver 6-0/183 The Phalanx: Jurovich has caught 52 passes for five touchdowns, both tops on the team. Remarkably, this is his first season as a receiver after spending two years as a safety.

Christopher Owens Junior Cornerback 5-10/170 The Phalanx: Owens leads the team in interceptions this season, with four, and is also third on the team in tackles (56).

Matt Castello Senior Linebacker 5-10/228 The Phalanx: Castello continues to have a stellar season with the Spartans as he leads the team in tackles with 85.

Adam Tafralis Senior Quarterback 6-2/219 The Phalanx: Tafralis has led the Spartans to a 4-4 record with a 134.10 efficiency rating in 2007 and has passed for nearly 2,000 yards.

(C) 2007 The Arbiter via CSTV U-WIRE